Milly StandingAutomotive industry charity Ben has launched the findings from this year’s annual health and wellbeing report, revealing results from a poll of more than 1,000 automotive workers.
The top five health and wellbeing issues identified were: low mood (41%), not taking time out to rest or relax (43%), anxiety (44%), poor sleep (52%) and stress (57%).
Mental health scores have worsened over the past 12 months, and automotive workers believe employers must do more to support them.
The research found that one in nine people felt personally affected by the lack of mental health support in their workplace.
The prominence of poor work-life balance increased to 38% from 32% the previous year, with this issue being reported mostly by those working in showrooms, parts departments and garages.
This is likely due to the common trends within these areas of long hours, low staffing levels and high workloads.
These survey results showed that automotive workers are more likely to experience issues with work-life balance and mental health compared to other UK workers as mental health concerns remains the most prominent of the top 10 issues, affecting hundreds of people in the automotive industry.
Almost one in four workers were considering leaving the industry, and one in two of these said their choice was due to poor mental health.
Alongside this, money worries remained a large problem for automotive workers, with many impacted by cost-of-living pressures.
One in five had experienced issues with debt, and one in four of those who has considered leaving the industry reported that they have had financial problems.
Rachel Clift, CEO at Ben, said: “This year’s survey results shed light on the biggest health and wellbeing challenges facing our automotive family.
“Our annual surveys offer a valuable opportunity to listen directly to those within our industry, helping us better understand their issues so we can provide the relevant services and support for automotive people and their families.
“These insights also allow us to engage with employers and industry partners, so we can collectively work towards improving the resilience, wellbeing and motivation of automotive workers and the industry as a whole.
“Stress remains the biggest issue for our automotive family, with many people citing they don’t feel they have enough time to switch off from work to rest and relax, as well as raising concerns over access to support.
“Money worries are also clearly continuing to impact on people’s lives, adding to these stresses. Unsurprisingly, the challenges we’re seeing are taking a toll on people’s mental health which is a continuing trend for our industry.”
